Brother Trickster
by Username666
Summary: Loki, drifting through the Void, meets Gabriel. Despite the oppressive dark, Gabriel tries to make him smile, even when the Chitauri close in on them, trying to force them to attempt and enslave Midgard, the realm of Man. Loki escapes, determined to help the humans defeat the oncoming alien creatures as Gabriel begged him. Even if it means working with the brother he forsook.
1. Chapter 1

**So, I've fallen off the wagon and decided to make another Loki and Gabriel story, but this one will be quite a bit different. I blame I'vebeenLOKI'Dyetagain's story 'Lokitty', which gave me the idea of what would happen if Loki had escaped from Thanos?**

**I'm sorry in advance.**

**(Not really)**

**:I**

* * *

_" No, Loki." The All-father looked tired, his remaining harsh blue eye sunk in his face. His voice was weighed down by his adopted son's mistakes, his bad decisions made out of desperation._

_Loki's fingers were white against the golden metal of the spear, dangling over the edge of the swirling nothing below him. His brother, the ever loyal Thor, flicked his guileless eyes towards Odin before returning to the dark haired prince hanging on by his will alone._

_A will he suddenly found lacking._

_His heart, long thought shriveled by those of Asgard, shattered. The sharp edges pushed out-wards, digging into his lungs, making every breath hurt like his insides had been scooped out and broken glass pressed into their empty spaces._

_" Loki, no!" Thor gasped, blinking away sweat. He had seen his brother's green eyes darken, had seen the desperation on his face fade into a blank wasteland that hurt to look into. He felt his brother's, his mischievous ever grinning little brother's, grip slip, saw the pale slender hand uncoil, release his hold on his brother, on his will.._

_On his sanity._

_Loki let himself fall, the rainbow bridge blink out of existence, Thor's anguished howl fade, the brilliant gleam of the stars, the shining leaves of Yggdrasil, stricken out by the encumbered void._

_And yet, of all he could see vanish into the dark, all he could hear was;_

_" No, Loki."_

* * *

" Hello."

Loki turned, or tried to. The void was unbreakable, the feeling of falling constant. Trying to turn was really just redirecting his attention.

" Hello?" The prince asked tentatively. Though he could not see through the pitch blackness, he had often heard the roar of distant monsters, lost between the roots of the World Tree.

" Hi! Did you get iced by your brother too?" Loki shuddered at the unseen creature's choice of words, and unfortunately good guess.

" Not by a brother," Loki replied carefully, fruitlessly searching the dark for the outline of the newcomer. " I had the misfortune of misstepping in a delicate matter." Not entirely the truth, but not an out right lie. The safest answer a trickster could give.

" Oh, so you screwed up. Are you from Asgard? I mean, that's the only place I can think of where people speak like _that_." The creature chatted gleefully. If said out of context, you might think they were two people talking about something as mundane as a midgardian football game.

" I have been to Asgard." Loki answered warily, offering no more of a reply then necessary. " And you hail from...?"

" Welp," The sound of someone shuffling nearby seemed to echo from everywhere at once. " I've been hanging around earth for a while. Three thousand years, 'bout."

Not human, yet of Midgard. Loki had not been there for a while, but he knew there was more then one power in the nine realms. That knowledge that he knew more of other powers then even the All-father used to make him proud, but the knowledge meant little in this place between worlds.

" Might I ask what you are?" Loki pressed. He didn't want to ask too personal of questions, since the same could be inquired of him.

" You might, doesn't mean I'd answer!" The mystery thing replied cheerfully. That seemed to be the only setting of this creature. How could it be so happy, floating through the void? Even death could not be granted here, merciful as it would be. " I can tell you my name though, I'm Gabriel!"

" I am known as Loki." Loki said, stirring up his weary pride to color his tone. There was silence for several seconds that stretched onto eternity, time had no meaning in this light-less place, before Gabriel spoke up again.

" Hey, wanna play I Spy?"

* * *

" Gabriel?" Loki called out cautiously. The rustle of fabric broke the silence.

" Yeah, Kiddo?" Gabriel yawned. Loki could here the creak of his jaw, like it had rusted from disuse.

" . . . Can you see that light?" The dark haired magic user asked, green eyes narrowing towards the offending light. It wasn't any more then a harsh glow in the distance, but after what felt like centuries of unending silence and darkness, it burned like the inside of a star.

" Uh, why do I feel the need to run away from it?" Gabriel laughed nervously. In the strengthening light, Loki could catch the outline of his figure. A short humanoid shape, shoulders set wearily and head tilted towards the glow. The gleam of shining gold from his eyes glowed slightly in the dim half-light.

" It is the only sign of light in possibly decades, and you wish to flee from it?" Loki accused him, firmly shushing the tiny voice that advised the same.

" Call it gut instinct, Lokster, but that light's bad news." Gabriel moaned, twisting uselessly in the air. One of his flailing feet scraped Loki's thigh, making the irritated god retaliate with a harsh jab to the ribs.

The light grew stronger, burning the two outcasts' sensitive eyes. It was pouring from a massive ship, made out of what looked like the black husk of an insects armored skin.

" Ewww!" Gabriel squealed, floating upside-down next to Loki. " That thing looks like Luci made it!"

Loki didn't bother with asking who Lucy was, focusing on the ship in-front of them. It was monstrous, swelling up to bloke out the vanishing void around them. Creatures swarmed around it, chitting and spitting in their own tongue. Every once and a while, one dark creature would loose it's balance and plunge, screaming, into the dark cloud hovering below them. None of the others would show any fear or regret for the fallen one, merely rushing about as if nothing happened.

" Uh, it's coming towards us.." Gabriel prodded Loki's back, golden eyes wide, not with fear, but curiosity and cation. " Should we, run away or something?"

" It matters little what we do." Loki said blankly, reaching for the small dirk he still had tucked in his scuffled and worn armor. " They have seen us."

" They?" Gabriel tugged out a glowing dagger from the sleeve of his green jacket. Loki noted, vaguely, the splash of dark red over a hole in his shirt.

Loki didn't answer, glaring up at the looming ship with nothing less then the pride of a prince of Asgard.

Even one that had let go.

* * *

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-**

**It sucks, doesn't it?**

**No matter! I've changed up my writing style, anyone noticed? Depending on the story, my style changes. Kind of like painting a picture with my mind. Some are bloody and detailed, down to the streaks of sweat wiping the grime and gore off a fighter's cheek, or they are bright and flashy, colorful and silly with the character's flinging their hands in the air in overacted exasperation, or like this, soft lined and water colored, showing the world a story through a slightly distant view. **

**I've decided on skipping the torture scenes, since I feel like it. Long story short, the get captured by the Chitauri and brought to their planet. The next chapter will start with Loki, and how he escapes. Sadly, we won't see ****_widdle Gabe_**** for a bit.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Whelp, sorry about this, guys. I had the entire thing written down, looked at it, declared it shit and was too gutless to post it so I'm redoing it completely! **

**Ugh, Hurt!Loki isn't easy to write. I don't want to break him completely but I can't just have him unfazed by everything, so I've decided to- Dun, dun, dun, DUH! Break him completely! This is why its T, folks!**

* * *

_Drip, drip, drip, what do I hear?_

_Ah, it's the Reaper knocking, nothing to fear._

_He pounds in my heart, and taps on my head._

_The drip, drip, drip, of something quite dead!_

-Anonymous

Loki is practical.

When faced with choice of either joining the creatures that captured him and Gabriel, or face their 'persuasion', he would have. He guessed, grudgingly, that either way would end the same, with _them_ getting what they want, and being forced to do it would be a strike to his pride when he couldn't refuse.

Of course, Loki was practical. Gabriel, however, was not.

The creatures, Chitauri, dragged them to their leader. The Other.

He stunk of pain, fire and blood. His blue skin shriveled like a blueberry left in the sun. His voice, when he spoke, grated and rasped, dragging ice-cold fingers down the two captives necks.

He offered them a choice, one that would be foolish and potentially dangerous to refuse.

" Take over Midgard." He growled, long blue cowl scraping along the dirty stone floor. "You will wield a power with no equal, lead an army, be king of an entire realm-"

" Yeah, been there, done that." Gabriel snorted, tugging at the chains. " Hey, mind dropping us off on the nearest realm? No offense, but this place is a mess, and you smell like fish. I don't like fish."

The Other's red lips parted in shock, the constant squeaks and chitters of the Chitauri suddenly falling quiet.

Gabriel could have stopped talking there, and maybe he would have simply been thrown off the ship, but he had to add one last thing.

" Hey, Blueberry, can you get these things off, Its kinda hard to eat candy with your hands chained together."

The Other had him whipped, the end of the weapon had a cold metal hook, ripping the flesh off Gabriel's back with ease.

Not a whimper of pain or harsh pant escaped Gabriel's lips the entire time, the only noise he did make was a single, crazy bark of laughter as they dragged him to his cell.

Unfortunately, Loki's pride kept him from rolling over to the Chitauri before Gabriel did.

Of course, it was only his pride.

Wasn't it?

* * *

The day Loki escaped he decided the impossible was really just the improbable messing with people. Gabriel and Loki's cells where right next to each-other, a mistake Loki himself was certain he would never make if he found himself in charge of a prison.

The two tricksters passed secrets through code, telling each-other stories to hide them. The first letter of each sentence was a letter in the code, and when they broke off to cough, it signaled the end of the message. Who started the code in the first place was debatable, but mattered little.

One day, the only word sent through code to Loki was; _escape_.

" Loki, earth is important." Gabriel muttered, his usually bright and happy voice unnaturally weighted. " You know that, right? It can't be destroyed, like the Chitauri want."

Loki remained silent, wondering why Gabriel wasn't speaking in code. He could feel the faint stirring of something big in his companion's cell, but the man was alone in their.

" It has to be protected. Against _everything_. There's a lot of things targeting Midgard," Gabriel paused, leaving Loki time to think on why he used 'Midgard' instead of 'earth'. " Be careful of wolves in sheep's clothing, right Kiddo?"

Gabriel pushed himself unsteadily to his feet, cradling one bent arm to his chest. Loki watched him limp slowly to the metal bars separating their cells. When he reached the bars, he shoved his unbroken arm through the bar, his hand offered like he wanted to shake hands.

Wordlessly, Loki shook his hand. He could feel bright golden energy swirling around in his companion's cell, boiling under his skin and pulsing through his veins.

" And your going to protect it, aren't you?" Gabriel pressed, his hand tightening around Loki's until the bones grated together painfully. Loki nodded, lips pressed together.

" Gabriel." He whispered, voice harsh from disuse. " What are you-"

" Buh-bye, Kiddo! Say 'hi' to, well, everyone for me!" Gabriel's bright happy tone swung back in full, his lips drawn back into a goofy smile. The faint golden light grew thick like fog, covering the walls completely. No, not the walls, Loki, the golden fog encased him in a shining cloud. He could feel the powerful magic of Gabriel, but his presence was fading, the stone floor under his feet fell away and the painful hold on his hand vanished.

Loki was falling through a golden haze, tumbling head over heel with no idea which direction was up.

* * *

Loki landed with a jolt on his back, feeling like every bone in his body was broken. Maybe they where.

Staring straight up, he could see a bright blue strip between the black shadows of tall stone buildings. People chatted and yelled not too far away, but Loki couldn't work up enough energy to stand. The ground around him smelled like garbage and little stones dug into his back.

" Hello, sir, are you okay?" A gentle voice asked, a broad-shouldered shadow blotting out the sky. Loki flinched, teeth bared as he tried to shift away without jostling his aching bones. " What- what happened to you? Come on, I'll help you to the hospital." The gentle voice gasped as he firmly tried to pick Loki up.

With a snarl, Loki's fist connected with the man's chest, sending hims stumbling back. Even injured and unable to get up, it isn't wise to mess with a god.

Pain rushed up his arm, drowning his vision in black. Unconsciousness dragged him down, and Loki went limp.

* * *

Steve Rogers glanced down at the skinny black haired man crumpled at his feet. Blood was pooling from reopened wounds that looked like, _oh god_, whip lashes. The red swelling from broken bones where nearly hidden under bruises and dirt.

" Its okay." Steve murmured reassuringly, carefully picking up the unconscious man. " You're going to be fine."

* * *

**Yup, still sucks. Sorry for it's shortness, but I'm tired! I might trash this anyway. I like the thought, but I obviously can't keep it up.**

**Ugh.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the long wait, but school's started up again and I'm not fully into this fanfic. I'm still not sure if I'll continue it. I'm much more focused on Tricksters-in-arms. It has seven chaps so far, and I've even thought up an ending.**

* * *

The first thing Loki noticed when he woke up was the absence of a familiar golden glow.

The walls around him were blaring white, used to the dark realm of the Chitauri, the color burning and blinding the god's green eyes, forcing them closed. The ceaseless chatter of people, muffled by the harsh pale walls, ran soothingly over his ears like water over pebbles. It wasn't the chitter and screams of the monsters, of the Chitauri.

The Chitauri.

The Other, Gabriel, the golden mist-

Loki's eyes shot back open. The machine next to him picked up, like it had scented his panic, reeling off beeps so fast they blurred together. The voices weren't calming anymore, they were loud, a racket pounding on the injured god's already splitting head. Figures rushed by Loki's vision, drabbed in pale whites and blues, like the life had been leeched out of them.

Loki tried to roll out of the bed, but something on his wrist stopped him. Little hollowed-out strings pulsing with liquids were attached to the underside of his arm, and with a flash of fear and pain, Loki ripped them out, shoving the healers nearest to him away with panicked swipes.

" Sir, sir, please, calm down!" One of them cried, tearing the pale green cloth around her mouth away. Her free hand was raised soothingly, trying to placate the God of Mischief. Without slowing down, Loki sent her into a pile of equipment and dashed for the exit, his bare feet nearly silent as he ran.

Taking turns blindly, Loki barreled past other healers cloaked in the light, life-less robes as before. They called out to him, trying to stop the fleeing god. He dodged them without difficulty, focused on the one word, the last word he received by his friend, _escape_.

_Escape._

_Turn left, duck under a tall healer's arms._

_Escape._

_Another left. Window in sight, too high to jump off of. Keep running._

_Esc_-

Loki rammed into what felt like solid, breathing stone. His momentum nearly sent him reeling into the fragile glass window before an iron-band grip tightened around his arm.

" Hello." The man from the alley said with a gentle smile. His blue eyes were guileless, so much like the fair-haired crown prince of Asgard.

Loki pulled himself free of the other man's grip, lip curling into a defensive sneer.

" My name's Steve." The man continued, ignoring Loki's frosty expression. " I found you outside, in the alley. Your safe now."

_Safe_. Loki's sneer grew in size and malice. _Safe is a golden glow left in the dark. Safe is his best friend, left to suffer by the hands of a cruel race intent on Midgard's destruction_.

_Safe wants him to protect Midgard_.

" What is the name of this city?" Loki asked, licking his dry lips. Steve's brow wrinkled in concern at the god's painful croak.

" Your in New York. Are you alright? You aren't in any trouble, are you? I can help." The undisguised worry breathed a flare of anger in Loki's chest.

" I am fine!" He snapped, not at all reassuring. " I must speak with your king. Your ruler, leader. Midgard is in danger from-" The word, much like the creatures, turned Loki's silver tongue to lead.

" From..? Sir, do you have anywhere to go? Any family? Please, tell me your name." Steve's voice was soothing, his face open like a book.

" My name is Loki." The god replied, taking a deep breath. His throat burned from speaking for so long, and he had not eaten anything other then a small box of chocolate Gabriel had slipped him in the cells since his fall. " I have no family worth mention. I have answered your questions, now answer mine. Who do I talk to about the safety of your entire realm?"

Steve chewed hesitantly on his lip, still not entirely believing Loki knew anything that endangered the entire world. " I'm not sure if anyone will take you serious, Loki, right? What is coming that so dangerous?"

" The Chitauri!" Loki spat, his voice grating against the word like sandpaper. " They will flood your pathetic mortal realm and slaughter you all!" Loki's raised voice was getting some odd looks from the others in the hallway, but both men ignored them.

" Who are the Chitauri?" Steve asked, wrapping one hand around Loki's thin wrist. When Loki started to clam up, the grip grew painful. " Tell me!"

" They are monsters." Loki hissed, digging his broken fingernails into the soft flesh of his palm. " They will destroy all you hold dear, and if you do not take me to your ruler right now, they will tear apart your world like paper!" He let out another hiss when the hand clamped down on his wrist tightened, the bones grating together.

" I'll take you to Director Fury." Steve ground out, his face blank and his shoulders set. Without another word, he started dragging Loki behind him, only slowing when the exhausted god tripped over his cold, aching feet.

Loki followed willingly, looking up to the sky he had fallen out of, thinking;

_I will protect Midgard. From the Chitauri, and from you, dear friend._

* * *

Odin rubbed his face with his battle-worn hands, rubbing the long scar running along his face, dipping down into the empty socket where Laufey himself had pulled the All-father's eye free from his head. There was a small pounding inside his head, like some small creature had set up it's home inside and started hammering on the walls.

" My lord? Heimdall wishes to see you." A messenger appeared at the massive twin doors, tugging at the hem of his shirt nervously.

" Send him in." Odin's deep voice echoed around the empty room. He hated when it did that, useful for intimidating, but the racket beat mercilessly on his ears. Loki had once enchanted the room to muffle all but the purposefully loudest booms, but like all the other enchantments by the trickster, they had faded with their master.

The Gatekeeper strode in, his golden eyes gleaming. His massive sword swung with his stride, strapped against his back. As he approached, Heimdall fell to one knee before his king.

" My Father." He rumbled, eyes still fixed unblinking on the floor. " I have turned my eyes to Midgard, and have some interesting news for the royal family."

" Well, my son? What is it? Tell me your news." Odin huffed irritably. His head was really starting to bother him.

" Loki is alive."

" . . . **_What__?!_**" Odin's voice thundered around in the large hall, sending most of the guards to the knees, eyes screwed shut and hands clamped over their ears.

" Loki lives still." Heimdall answered calmly, unfazed by the noise. " I have seen him upon Midgard. I fear he has met ill-fortune in the void where he fell. He is injured, and I have reason to believe his magic is weak, for the moment."

Odin was silent, his mind swirling with thoughts, caught like leaves in the wind. His heart ached for his son, but his mind rebelled. Loki had betrayed them, had sought the destruction of an entire race, had attacked and harmed Thor-

" He is a danger to people of Midgard." Odin growled, his heart forced second to his mind. " He has created much chaos in Asgard, he cannot be trusted. Send Thor to being him back, Loki must be punished, and taught."

Heimdall nodded, straightening up. He cast one last look over his shoulder at the restless pacing of his king before sweeping out of the great hall's doors.

" He must be- be shown, what he did was wrong." The All-Father muttered to himself, his feet slowing down to a sluggish crawl. " Loki must be punished. So- so-"

Odin stopped moving completely, turning his face towards the closed doors.

" So he can come home."

* * *

**So, I'm thinking I might pair Steve and Loki together. I do love this pair, and I'm not intending to pair Loki and Gabriel. This book is called Brother Trickster you know. I do like this story, but-**

**I'm starting school again, and my mother made me join Sea Cadets, despite a lot of diplomatic talking that would have made Loki jealous. Oh, well, at least I talked her out of forcing the rest of my siblings to go.**

**Oh, and Heimdall saying "My Father" and Odin saying "My son" was actually planned, you know. Heimdall, in Mythology, was one of Odin's sons. Odin himself actually had quite a few children, and three wives that I can remember. Sorry, Marvel, but I like to suck up to the old myths every once and a while.**

**Ugh, I'm still tired, Night Internets!**


	4. Chapter 4

**MOAR! Okay, I've ski- I mean, missed school today to type out some more of Brother Trickster and Tricksters-in-arms if I feel like it.**

**Onward to adventure, I guess.**

* * *

" Director Fury? Someone's on the phone for you." One of the agents called. " And Selvig wants to speak with you."

Fury nodded absently, taking the slim dark cell phone from the agent's offered hand. He pressed it to his ear, sweeping down the dark hallway towards Erik Selvig's lab.

" Hello?" Fury muttered into the phone. Very few people knew the Director's phone number.

" Director Fury?" Captain America's voice issued out from the cell phone. " We have a problem."

" What kind of problem?" Fury slowed to a stop outside of the lab, pressing the phone closer to his ear.

" A world ending one, apparently." Captain America answered. There was another voice in the background, distracting the Captain.

" Rogers, who else is with you, what is the danger?" Fury demanded, voice rising.

" Hand it to- Fury, I presume." A cold, lilting voice crept out of the phone. " Yours is not the only realm, and from what I've seen I fear you are out-gunned."

" Out-gunned by what?! Who are you?!" The Director growled. One of the agents appeared at the corner of his remaining eye, looking worried.

" My name is Loki, and the Chitauri are coming for Midgard." The new voice hissed, agitated. " They will bring war and destruction with them."

" What are the Chitauri, God dammit! Tell me!" Fury shouted at the phone. The agent jumped, shifting fearfully. Fury finally turned to him.

" Sir, Selvig is asking for you."

" Fuck Selvig! Look, Loki, if that's your name, tell me everything you know!"

" Sir, the Tesseract-"

" The Tesseract?!" Loki screamed from the other end. " Lock it up, destroy it-"

" Why?!" Fury spat, marching into the lab. The Tesseract, a burning box of blue energy, sparked and- _growled_?

" They will come from it! They will send-" The Tesseract flared, azure streams lashing out around the machine containing it. The sound coming out of it steadied out into a loud drone, growing shriller with every second.

" What the Fu-" Fury's swear was cut off with a bang, thrown back as a beam of blue energy shot out of the Tesseract. Someone caught Fury mid-fall, steadying him. " Barton? Where were you?!"

" I see better at a distance." Clint Barton answered, pulling his bow free of the sheath across his back. " Look!"

There was someone on the platform, seemingly forged out of sapphire energy. His clothes were dark, a trench-coat sweeping down to his knees. His head was bowed, but he straightened up, blue eyes sunk into his gaunt and pale face. In his hand, a dark scepter tipped with a glowing blue stone scraped the ground.

" Sir, put the scepter down!" Fury commanded, leveling his gun to the man's head. The cell slipped to the ground,

The man glanced down at the scepter, dry lips pressed into a thin line. With lightening speed, the scepter rose and a blue flare shot from the end, sending an agent flying to a wall. Fire was opened immediately on the man, bullets slamming into his chest as he threw himself forwards, tackling several agents to the ground.

A voice, clear as day, leaked from the phone.

" It's too late."

The man paused, turning his head to the phone. Bullets ricochet off his skin but he payed them no mind, trotting over to the phone and scooping it up to press to his ear.

" Loki." The man said, his voice creaking like an old floorboard.

" Gabriel." Loki replied on the other end, loud enough for all in the room to hear in the lull between gunfire from the remaining agents. " You gave up."

" I gave up." Gabriel agreed. " But they've showed me things, I can take revenge, on- I can rule Earth, protect it better then my Father ever did."

" You'll hurt people."

" Necessary casualties."

" I'll stop you."

" I hope you do, Kiddo." Gabriel shut the phone, hosting the scepter up on his shoulder. " Where were we?"

Barton tried to sneak up behind him, one arrow held like a dagger in his hand. Without warning, Gabriel spun around and grabbed Barton's wrist as the agent raised his hand to stab him. Barton tried to punch him with his other hand, but the scepter rose to block him.

" You have heart." Gabriel murmured, tilting the blue gem towards Barton's heart. A wave of blue power rolled down the staff, coiling over Barton's chest before rushing to his eyes, settling there like a cumbersome fog.

Barton slipped the arrow back into his quiver, following Gabriel willingly as he turned the last few scientists brave enough to stay behind.

Fury crawled over to the Tesseract, his jacket frayed and smoking from one of Gabriel's scepter's attacks. He yanked the Tesseract free, pushing it into a metal case meant to contain it before shaking his hand, the black glove he wore smoking and melting.

" Don't." Gabriel called to the Director as he tried to sneak out the door.

" Who are you?" Fury spat, drawing himself to his full height. He towered over Gabriel, but he knew height didn't equal skill.

" I am Gabriel." He replied simply. " And I've been told to take over Earth."

" You just follow orders like a good little soldier?" The Director sneered. Gabriel's eyes flashed from blue to gold, then back.

" I am not a soldier." He growled. " No-one rules me!"

" Except the Chitauri." Fury noted the shudder then rippled through the shorter man's frame at the word.

" I don't serve the Chitauri. I rule them!" Gabriel shouted, sounding like a child.

" The portal is unstable." Selvig called, cutting in. Blue light swirled around on the ceiling, twisting and coiling like so many deadly snakes.

" Sir, Director Fury is trying to stall us, he means to bury us." Barton spoke up, drifting over to Gabriel's side.

" Well, then." Gabriel's cracked lips twisted up into a smile. Without waiting for orders, Barton yanked his gun out and shot Fury in the chest. The Director went flying backwards while Gabriel and his group stormed past, the metal case shielding the Tesseract cradled in Gabriel's arms.

Fury got unsteadily to his feet after they left, yanking a slightly dented bullet out of his bullet-proof vest as he took out his transceiver.

" Anyone copy?" He grunted, stumbling towards the exit. " Barton and Selvig are compromised, they have taken the Tesseract, stop them by any means possible and get out of the base!" Behind him, parts of the ceiling crumbled down, crushing lab equipment and dead agents.

As the Director fled, the blue energy from the Tesseract tore the base apart.

* * *

" Loki?" Steve called his name firmly, snatching the phone out of the god's numb hands. " Are you okay? What happened?"

" It is too late." Loki repeated, tensing his jaw. " The Chitauri have sent their.. leader here. He will open the portal for them."

" Is that who you were talking to? Did you know him, and what happened to Fury?" Steve's voice grew stronger, more like a Captain and less like- well, Steve.

" Yes, yes, and most likely dead. Their leader, Gabriel-" The name stuck slightly in his throat. " He will have killed most of the people there, if they tried to refuse him the Tesseract."

" Well, what do we do? Phone back? Can we get to the base in time to help?" Steve continued his questions, hardly stopping to breath.

" We can do nothing, the phone is almost certainly buried under heaps of rumble and I know not where the base even is." Loki growled, pacing. The walls of the small apartment Steve had brought him to seemed to crowd around the god, making him feel trapped. " We will have to wait until someone contacts us."

" Why would they?" Steve asked, one question too many.

" Because I have knowledge!" Loki spat, ceasing his pacing to glare at Steve. " I know of the creatures and he who leads them. If your ruler, Fury, does not contact us it either means he's dead or dumb as a bag of rocks!"

Steve raised his hands, palms facing the agitated god to calm him. " Okay, but I don't want to just sit here, I'll go mad."

Loki threw himself down on one of the battered old couches with a sigh.

" I am well aware of that, Son of Rogers. Warriors hate waiting, but recklessly charging into battle will cost this and all realms their freedom and lives."

Steve was silent for a moment, turning over all Loki had said in his mind, before opening his mouth again.

" Hey, why are you helping us? I mean, your not from around here, are you? So why?" Steve prodded, unknowingly poking a sore spot.

" My friend asked me to." Loki ground out, wondering why he was telling the truth._ Just lie! Say you like there cuisine, something!_ When he spoke again, all that came out was the painful truth. " He freed me from the Chitauri when we were both imprisoned. I owe him a dept."

Steve nodded wordlessly and the two lapsed into silence. Of course, with all the questions still swirling in Steve's head, the silence didn't last long.

" Are you the real Loki? I read up on your file, SHIELD keeps tabs on everything that goes on and the Destroyer leveling a small town got on their radar." Steve shot a sideways glance towards Loki.

" Yes, I am the _real_ Loki. And if something like that went unnoticed by your protectors I would wonder how Midgard hasn't dropped out of the sky." Loki sniffed, staring out the window.

" . . . Why? Why'd you send it?"

" A temporary lapse in judgement. I needed Thor, that oaf, out of the way, I did not foresee Thor's mortality." Loki admitted, grinding his teeth together.

" Okay." Steve shut his mouth again. The way things were going, Loki guessed the silence wouldn't last long.

" . . . What's your favorite color?"

Loki groaned.

* * *

" Thor, your king summons you." Thor glanced up, fleetingly wondering why Father would send Heimdall to fetch him.

" Did he say why?" Thor asked evenly, standing up from were he had been sitting at his desk. With one hand, he unsuccessfully tried to hide the journals he had been poring over. _Loki's_ journal.

" I believe you must here it from the All-Father himself." Heimdall replied, golden eyes softening slightly. Before Thor could question him further, the Gate-keeper vanished back to his outpost.

Confused, Thor stashed the journals back into a nearly untouched book shelf and rushed off to the throne room.

* * *

Odin's stony expression resided a bit when Thor came into view. The golden haired prince was still dressed in stiff leather armor, meant for training and stained with blood and sweat. Mjolnir thumped against his leg with every step, like a second heartbeat echoing Thor's own.

" Father, why have you summoned me?" Thor called as he swept down the hall, halting a few feet away.

" Come closer, my son." Odin commanded, his voice a tired whisper. Puzzled, Thor obeyed, drifting closer until he sat at Odin's feet.

" Father, why do you look so pained?" Thor asked, worry furrowing his brow.

" Loki lives." Odin rasped, raising one hand to stop Thor's bubbling questions. " He dwells on Midgard. You must bring him back, so he can face punishment for his crimes."

Thor's face had nearly split from the massive smile stretched across it, but at the mention of punishment, it faltered.

" But father, aren't you pleased that my dear brother lives? Why must he be punished?" Thor cried, making to stand. The All-Father's hand on his shoulder kept him down.

" Listen closely." Odin hissed, face dark. " There is something I have kept secret far too long. _Loki is not your brother_."

Thor immediately raised his voice in protest. A low growl from his father silenced his yells.

" I found a child in the temple that housed the Casket of Winters, many years ago. In the ruin, and snow, there was a small child, merely a babe." Odin's voice was weary, like time had focused into a physical object that weighed on his mind and heart. " He was small, for a frost giant, abandoned to die by his father, King Laufey, I believe. I took him home, and raised him as my son. Loki is a Jotun."

Thor felt like the floor had been tugged out from under his feet.

" You never told me." He croaked, shrugging off his father's hand. " That is why he sought to destroy the Frost Giants. He is one of them-" Emotion coated his words and forced them to catch in his throat. His brother, Loki, was the creature Thor himself had sworn to slay, many times over?

And Loki lives with that knowledge, that the brother he fought beside, played beside, had promised to rid his species of Yggdrasil?

_Odin's beard._

" He must hate me." Thor murmured.

" No, Thor, he can not blame you." Odin grabbed Thor's chin, forcing him to meet the old king's single eye. " But you must bring him home. He is a danger-"

" NO!" Thor boomed, tearing himself away from the All-Father. " He is my brother, and I trust him!"

" Thor, you fool, I've just told you-"

" No, Odin!" Thor snapped, hand tight around Mjolnir's handle. " He _is_ my brother. We grew up together, blood means nothing! I will go find him, and beg his forgiveness for the pain I have unknowingly caused him all these years.

" Thor-"

" Do you deny his right as your son?!" Thor challenged. At Odin's silence, Thor's rage grew. " Then you are not my father." He growled coldly.

Thor marched out of the hall, his feet thunderous against the golden floor.

Odin just watched him go sadly, sinking into his throne.

* * *

**Two chaps done in just as many days! I had to rewatch the first bit of Avengers to make sure I got that part right. Poor Gabriel, poor Loki, heck poor Thor! Oh, and this chap is 2,430 words! That's twice as many as my shorter chaps, and more then I normally do, certainly.**

**Enjoy, Internets, and Peace Off!**


	5. Chapter 5

" Heimdall, let me pass." Thor's voice was cold. In his chest, his heart felt like an ice-slick stone._ It shouldn't feel that way, his baby brother is alive!_

" Of course, Prince Thor." Heimdall replied evenly, drawing his sword. Thor was surprised, he had thought he would have to fight Heimdall to get off Asgard. " Give Loki my best regards, and this, if you will." He pulled a small, shining black dagger from his boot. " It is made of dragon's tooth, and enchanted to focus his natural ice powers. I have reason to believe he will need it."

" Um, thank you, Heimdall." Thor frowned in puzzlement.

" You wonder why I would allow you passage?" The Gate-keeper guessed, his face impassive. Thor nodded wordlessly. " I admit to missing Loki's tricks. They are often beneficial, in a hidden way, and Loki cares for Yggdrasil, he is important to the balance. If he turns against Asgard, things will go badly for all realms."

Thor nodded, taking the black dagger and stowing it carefully in his leather armor. He hadn't bothered with stopping by his chambers, since he was headed to Midgard and none of his clothes 'fit in'. " You can transport me to Midgard, yes?"

" Yes, Prince Thor. But only you, and I have not the power to return you. Loki knows the hidden paths of Yggdrasil best, and can bring you back if you find him." Heimdall closed his golden eyes, concentrating fiercely. " I wish you the best of luck."

Thor felt like a strong wind had begun to lap at his heels. The feeling grew, stretching over his body until he felt like he was being torn apart. Heimdall vanished into a blurry cloud of mixed colors, and the ground dropped away from under his feet. He caught fleeting glimpses of several realms, as if Heimdall was bouncing him between them. The stone walls of a city in Nidavellir, the lush grass of Alfheim, the dead, empty space of Svartalfheim before fading away to complete darkness.

No, not complete.

Thor waved his hand infront of his face, frowning at the blurry streak hardly visible in the inky darkness of a Midgard night. There was the faint glow of electric lights in the distance, drawing the prince of Asgard to it like a moth to flames.

Squaring his shoulders, Thor marched towards the light. Unseen by the god, a colorful sign stood proudly off to the side of the road, letters blazed gracefully across it's flat surface;

_Stuttgart_.

* * *

" Hello, Captain." Steve started, rolling off his uncomfortable little bed. Agent Coulson smiled ever so slightly, offering the fallen soldier his hand.

" How did you get in here?" Steve asked, accepting the helping hand.

" You friend let me in." Coulson tilted his head towards Loki, who was leaning gracefully against the wall, a small smirk pulling at his lips.

" Of course." Steve sighed, rubbing the back of his neck when he got to his feet. " Is this about the Tesseract?"

" And the Chitauri." Coulson added, noticing Loki tense minutely out of the corner of his eye. The agent filed the movement away in the back of his mind. " That's Loki, right? He's the one who knows the guy who stole the Tesseract." Steve nodded in affirmation, ushering his two guests towards the tiny kitchen in his apartment.

" Coffee, anyone?" Coulson nodded silently, taking an offered mug. Loki, looking slightly pale, refused. " So, Loki, how do you know the Chitauri leader?"

" I do not believe that is necessary knowledge, at the moment." Loki sat down at the little round table, back straight and shoulders set. " Next question."

" What are the Chitauri?" Coulson spoke up, sharp eyes watching the god's body language closely. No tensing, this time, but the agent noted the number of blinks the god made; five in three seconds, like he was trying to chase away memories.

" They are beasts from a different realm not known by Asgard." Loki answered, his tone indifferent. " They reside deep into the roots of the World Tree, where no light reaches and few bother to search."

" Why do they want to take over Earth?" Steve prompted gently, his expression soft and his smile genuine.

" I know little of their language, but from what I've heard, I believe their leader wishes the death of Yggdrasil." Loki's thin hand curled into talons under the table, digging into his borrowed jeans. " He is courting Death, though she pays him little mind, and he seeks a gift that would catch her attention."

" So the guy who took the Tesseract," Steve frowned, hands wrapped around a mug of cheap black coffee. " Has a crush on Death? Like, the Grim Reaper?"

" No, the man who took the Tesseract is a pawn, he is meant to open the portal between worlds and lead the Chitauri to a slaughter of mankind. If they get a foothold here, the other realms will be in constant danger. And I mean Death, not the silly skeletal creature your kind has made up. Her true name is Hel, or Hela. She rules the dead." Loki's green eyes softened by a fraction, not unseen by Coulson.

" What's she mean to you?" The SHIELD agent raised one eyebrow, leaning over the table.

" . . .She is my daughter." Loki admitted, drawing a wide-eyed glance from Steve.

" So Norse Mythology is true? You gave birth to a horse?!" The soldier gasped. Loki's expression turned sour.

" Of course not. I created Sleipnir, but he was borne of magic. I made him as a stead for m- the All-Father." Loki narrowed his eyes at the suddenly blushing mortal. " Any other questions?"

" Many." Coulson tipped back his head, downing the rest of the coffee. " But they can wait until you talk to Director Fury."

" Well, then." Loki stood, pushing his chair back. " Lead the way, Son of Cole."

* * *

Loki struggled to hide his awe, burying it under heaps of indifference and superiority.

_But is he any better?_ Loki thought bitterly, trailing after Steve Rogers like a lost puppy. _A Frost Giant, no a Frost runt, unwanted by the race of savages-_

The god of Mischief gave himself a mental shake, focusing on his surroundings.

Coulson had taken Steve and Loki on a metal machine with wings, he called a Helicopter. It roared like a dragon, it's dark shiny blades chopping the air with a deafening hum. Loki had to shove his hands in his pockets to keep from betraying how they balled up into fists at being so high up. The god had never liked heights, especially after the fall.

When they had landed, it was on an island made of metal and pavement. More Helicopters, as well as much larger inanimate beasts, lounged around it. People scuttled around the surface, fearlessly running up to the slumbering metal beasts and parading under the order of the superiors.

In the middle of the island, scrawled in bright yellow paint, was a massive eagle, wings spread and head turned. The insignia of SHIELD, Coulson had said.

" Agent Romanoff," Coulson called, smiling slightly at the red haired woman that greeted them as they stepped out of the Helicopter. " This is Steve Rogers, and Loki-"

" Laufeyson." Loki interjected, sweeping down to a bow. Steve's cheeks turned slightly pink as he copied the movement.

" Well, mister Laufeyson, you know how to make a girl feel special." Agent Romanoff arched one eyebrow at the smirking god. " Coulson, They need you on the bridge, they're starting the face trace."

Coulson nodded and swept past her, throwing a encouraging smile to Steve and Loki. " See you there."

" What is 'face trace'?" Loki asked polity, green eyes wary and watchful whenever someone stepped too close.

" You'll see later." Romanoff replied, leading the other two through the chaos around them. " There's been quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice." She commented to Steve, who fell into step beside her. Loki tagged on behind, building up a mental map as they went, in case the need arose. " Thought Coulson was going to swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

" Trading cards?" Steve echoed, puzzled.

" They're vintage, he's very proud." Romanoff nodded at a few of the agents rushing by, but her eyes were fixed on a man in a grey suit that had seen better days. The man had brown hair, streaked with grey, though he didn't look that old. He milled around cluelessly, looking lost.

" Dr Banner." Steve called, catching the man's attention. Banner turned to face them, looking grateful.

" Uh, yeah, hi." Banner took Steve's offered hand and shook it, a small smile on his lips. " They told me you'd be coming."

" Word is you can find the cube." Steve said, releasing Banner's hand. Him and Loki had been debriefed on certain things on the ride their, Banner's role in the search for the Tesseract among them.

" Is that the.. only word about me?" Banner's eyes slid to the side, his smile turning nervous.

" Only word I care about." Steve answered. Loki raised one eyebrow, slinking up behind him. All he had been told was not to irritate the doctor, not the reason why. Though now he was close enough, Loki could sense strength pouring off them man potent enough to challenge a god.

Banner nodded in agreement, rubbing his hands together. " Must be strange to you, all of this." He gestured to the base around them.

" Well," Steve looked thoughtful, following a troop of jogging agents with his eyes. " This is actually kind of familiar."

Loki agreed silently, trailing after them as the three others wandered off to the edge of the metal island. Anyone that had gone through military training, no matter the realm, could relate with something in the base.

" Gentlemen, you might want to step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little hard to breath." Romanoff's lips curved into a tricky smile, bracing her feet solidly against the metal floor.

" Is this a submarine?" Steve asked in disbelief, turning to Loki.

" Really, they want me in a submerged pressurized container?" Banner gave a humorless laugh.

A deep thunk and growl rose up from under their feet and the people around them scrambled towards the many doors leading down below. All three men shuffled over to the edge of the metal island, leaning over to watch as the water churned and frothed. Metal blades chopped through it as a contraption rose up, two on each side of the island.

As they watched, the metal island laboriously raised itself a few feet up in the air.

" Oh, no this is much worse!" Banner chuckled, hair tousled by the wind.

" Odin's beard." Loki hissed behind them, speaking for the first time in an hour. Steve glanced over to him.

" Are you afraid of heights?" He asked teasingly.

" I fear nothing!" Loki spat, spinning on his heels to follow Romanoff inside. " Lease of all falling!"

" I said nothing about falling." Steve muttered, trailing after him. The look on his face was that of a kicked puppy.

" Oh, this is going to be fun, isn't it?" Banner snorted, following behind. No-one deigned to answer him.

* * *

**How many words is that? Oh, well, I don't care. This chapter is pretty boring, but eh. And yes, Loki is afraid of heights. Partially because he fell off the Bifrost, mostly because it's a real-life phobia for me and I can use it to make some hard decisions for Loki!**

**I'm evil.**

**Until next time, Internets. Peace Off!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy reading! That is all.**

* * *

" Your really afraid of h-"

" No, I am not, insufferable mortal!" Loki hissed, his shoulders hunched. Banner raised a questioning eyebrow.

" Why would you be so offended if you aren't actually afraid?" The doctor asked with a challenging tone. Loki's glare could have thawed out Jotunheim.

" I am not afraid, you daft thing. I am a god!" Loki snarled. Ahead of them, Steve and Romanoff shared a long suffering glance.

" So why are your hands shaking?" Loki glanced down, forcing his pale hands to be still with no little effort.

" I am annoyed and want to hit you." He spoke through gritted teeth. " My hands shake from the will it takes not to."

" Yeah? I want to hit you too, my hands aren't shaking." The doctor raised his hands coolly, lips pressed into a tight grin.

" Boys, stow it." Romanoff called over her shoulder. " We're here."

The hallway opened up into a high roofed room. Agents bustled around on two separate floors, tapping away on computers or rushing off with orders. The wall in-front of them was made completely of glass, wisps of thin white clouds drifting by.

Loki felt sick.

" We're at level, sir." A woman with short dark hair called, glancing up to a dark skinned man on the platform above her.

" Good, let's vanish." The man growled. Loki recognized the voice, in a detached way, as Director Nick Fury. The thrum of machanics rumbled through the walls as, unseen, reflection panels popped up all along the aircraft, blending the massive flying machine in with the sky.

" Come on, Director Fury would like to speak with you." Romanoff waved them forwards to a circular glass table, flocked by black chairs, on the platform above the computer room. Fury was already waiting for them.

" Gentlemen." He greeted, his single dark focusing and analyzing them as they stepped in. Steve wordlessly walked forwards, slipping a green bill out of his pocket and handing it to Fury without looking at him, eyes wide with awe as he walked forwards into the main room.

Fury raised his eyebrow but accepted the bill, walking past Loki to Banner.

" Doctor, thank you for coming." The Director said, shaking Banner's hand.

" Thanks for asking nicely." Banner replied dryly. " So, how long am I staying?"

" Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you in the clear."

" Where are you with that?" Banner asked, wandering past Fury after Steve. Loki, ever silent, followed behind.

" We're sweeping every wirely accessible camera on the planet." Coulson called up to them from the platform below, his arms cross. " Cell phones, laptops, if it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."

Romanoff stood by one of the scenes, flicking through the people turned by the Mind Gem; Selvig, two unnamed agents, and _Barton, Clint, code-name; Hawkeye_.

" It's still not going to find them in time." She murmured, turning away from the screen.

" You have to narrow your field." Banner piped up, slipping his jacket off. " How many spectrometers do you have access to?"

" How many are there?" Fury countered.

" Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition, at least we can rule out a few places." He folded the jacket carefully over his arm, glancing up at Fury. " You have somewhere for me to work?"

Fury nodded slowly, glancing over to the computer area. " Agent Romanoff, show doctor Banner to his laboratory, please."

" You'll love it, doc, we got all the toys." Romanoff swept passed them without checking to see if Banner was following. The doctor hurriedly followed after her.

" Loki, I presume?" Fury asked mockingly, finally turning to the silent god.

Loki nodded, scowling.

" What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" The Director snorted, sitting down in one of the chairs.

" I'm afraid I left it on ground level." Loki ground out, taking the seat across from him. " I assume you have questions."

" What do you know about the Tesseract?" Fury shot out, straight to business.

" That you should have left it where you found it." Loki retorted. " It is a self-sustaining source of power, all the nine realms would fight for it. That kind of power is best left to Yggdrasil."

" Can you find it? Your one of those Norse gods, right?"

" I am Loki, and yes, normally I would be able to find it. But I fear my magic is depleted, it needs time to be restored and must be used sparingly. Tracing the Tesseract would be impossible without the power to over-come the enchantments the Chitauri would secure it with."

" What do you know about the man that came out of the Tesseract?"

" His favorite colors yellow, his favorite chocolate bar is Kit-Kats, and he is more powerful then all of Asgard put together." Loki answered truthfully.

" He one of yours?"

" No, but he had enough power to free me from imprisonment when we were both bound by the same spells."

Fury leaned back into his chair with a sigh.

" Is that all, Director?" Loki asked polity, hands folded on the table.

" No where near, but you can go for now." Fury waved him off, sending a flare of anger through Loki. He hated being written off.

He straightened up irately, storming off to search for Steve.

* * *

The room was filled with silent focused energy, people murmuring quietly or typing away silently. The only two openly talking stood near the stairs, watching others bustle by.

" I mean," The shorter one said, casting his idol a side-glance. " If it's not too much trouble."

" No, no, it's fine." The taller one insisted, cheeks slightly pink. They both watched the agents work silently for several seconds.

" It's a vintage set." The shorter one added, shooting a hopeful look to his companion. "Took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint." A slight beep overtook his words. " Slight boxing around the edges, but-"

" We got a hit." One of the agents called, catching Steve and Coulson's attention. " Sixty-seven percent match. Wait, cross-match, seventy-nine percent."

" Location?" Coulson prompted, stepping up to stare at the screen.

" Stuttgart, Germany." The agent replied, clicking away on the screen. " He's not exactly hiding." Gabriel's face appeared on the screen, the battered trench-coat exchanged for a light tan suit. The sharp edges of his starved face had softened slightly, and the bruises under his eyes paled.

" Captain," Fury's voice echoed from behind them, making Steve turn. " Your up."

" I am coming with you." Loki declared, seemingly appearing out of thin-air. His green eyes were fixed on the screen. Fury scowled but nodded, allowing the god to join them.

" Anyone else want to come for the ride?" He asked sarcastically.

Coulson timidly raised his hand.

* * *

_Stuttgart, Germany_;

Thor arrived in the city when he felt something... wrong. Like a scrap of the void had drifted over into Midgard. Frowning and keeping a calloused hand on his hammer, the prince of Asgard followed the feeling like a blood hound, trailing towards a tall stone building, light pouring out like it had captured the sun. Finely dressed men and woman strutted around it, drinking colorful little martinis and laughing in high pitched, mock mirth.

Thor felt like a grizzly bear next to them, towering over and stinking of blood and sweat from his armor.

" Er, excuse me, I must pass." The Thunder god said awkwardly, staring down at the tiny man clutching a sheet of paper close to his chest.

" Of course, sir." He squeaked, jumping aside. Thor gave him a bright smile and sauntered in.

Just in time to see a short man flip an old grey haired gentleman over a stone table shaped like a bull, a whirling machine clutched in one of his thin hands. While Thor watched, the short man jabbed the machine over the other man's eye, the screams from the crowd as the rushed towards the doors drowning out the gentleman's own.

The crowd surged forwards, pushing Thor right out the door. In the courtyard, the short man suddenly appeared, his suit fading into bright golden armor.

" On your knees!" He commanded, his voice like thunder. Thor felt like a massive hand fell on his shoulders, forcing him to the ground. By the groans of fear and shrieking of the crowd, he guessed they felt the same.

" Good." The man suddenly brightened, but under his smile a darkness lurked. " Wasn't that easy? Now, who believes in God?" He swept forwards, trotting through the crowd. No-one moved or spoke. " No-one? Really? What a pity." He tsked, stopping by Thor's side. For a second, his bright blue eyes flickered to a burning gold, like liquid metal, before the lifeless, swirling blue overtook them. " Though it does make this part easier...

" Right then, I'm you new God." He declared, twirling the blue tipped staff in his hands. " You pray to me, I protect you. All you need to do, is kneel." His grin stretched into a smirk, his eyes like chips of ice.

In the middle of the crowd, an old man gazed off in the distance over the heads of all the bowed people. Slowly, his joints creaking with age and force, the old man raised himself to face the man.

" I do not bow," He spoke in a thick German accent, breathing heavily though his nose. " To false gods."

The man's smirk twisted into a sneer, full of spite and anger. " I am not one of the gods. I am _God_."

" No, you are not." The old man retorted.

" Look at your elder, people." The man laughed, the noise high and crazy. " He will be the first to taste the fury of your _new god._" The staff rose, changing as it did into the gem-tipped scepter. Blue light built up along it's length, humming with energy, before bursting out in an azure ball of light. It flew over the crowd, streaking straight towards the old man's chest.

It never found it's target.

A wall of red, white and blue flashed into the path of the energy, sending it reflection back to the man off of the gleaming surface of a round shield. The light smacked into the man's knees, sending him tumbling forwards onto his stomach.

" You know," Captain America began idly, walking towards Gabriel laying prone on the ground. " The last time I saw someone standing above everyone else, we ended up disagreeing."

Gabriel pushed himself up, his face torn between madness and anger. " Captain America, I heard you pray for your daddy."

Before the Captain could react, Gabriel was on his feet, his fist blurring towards his opponents face. Steve Rogers ducked down, the fist flying over his head. Pain flared up along his side as Gabriel's other hand jabbed into his ribs hard enough to bruise. Captain America slammed his shield into Gabriel's feet, sending it across his throat when the other man hunched over in pain.

A silver knife flew into Gabriel's hand, the triangle blade long enough to be considered a sword. He lunged forwards, swiping the blade across Captain America's shield. With a sinking feeling, Steve felt his arm get nicked by the blade as it cut through the near invincible shield like butter.

Gabriel raised the sword again, aiming for Steve's throat, when a force like a thunderstorm ripped towards him, flying over his shoulder.

There was the crack of breaking bones, and the tear of flesh unheard under the unearthly scream torn from Gabriel's throat. Over his shoulder, a golden cloud glimmered and defined itself, showing six massive wings. The largest over his right shoulder was torn in half, silver tinted blood pulsing out in bucket loads. The other half of the golden wing lay on the ground twenty feet away, fading to ash.

" What the-" Steve stepped back, hands clamped over his ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the hammer fly back into it's owner's hand. The man, a tall blond wearing dirty leather armor, darted forwards and slammed the hammer's handle across the screaming man's (creature's?) head, knocking him out cold.

Above them, a helicarrier hovered anxiously, landing nearby as soon as the courtyard was cleared. Loki jumped out as soon as the machine touched the ground, nearly flying towards the out-cold Gabriel.

" B-brother?" The blond man gasped, his hammer slipping out of his numb hand.

" Hush, Thor, we have to stop the bleeding." Loki said absently, hardly glancing in the other god's direction. He shrugged off his jacket, wrapping it around the stump of a golden wing. He might have ignored Thor completely, if his adoptive brother didn't suddenly lock his arms around the dark haired god's stomach and yank him into the air, face split into a grin.

" Thor, you oaf, put me down!" Loki screamed in anger, jabbing Thor in the ribs with his elbow.

" No, I will not put you down for anything less then Ragnarok." Thor replied stubbornly.

" If you do not put me down, Gabriel will die, and the humans will never find the Tesseract!" Loki hissed, wiggling in his brother's iron grip. " They do not find the Tesseract, and this realm will fall, leaving the others in danger! Put-me-down!"

Thor reluctantly released his brother, the look on his face so sad and forlorn that Steve came over and gave him a little pat on the shoulder. As they loaded Gabriel into the helicarrier, a metallic light streaked through the sky, slamming into the asphalt in-front of the team.

" Hey," Iron man laughed, the face plate sliding back. " Am I too late for the party?"

* * *

**DDDDOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Man, I've been updating this story a lot the last few days... I haven't even touched Tricksters-in-arms. Meh, people want more of this for now, so on with the show!**

**Okay, so my week is like this; School on Wednesday, Thursday and Tuesday, I don't get home until around 9 on Tuesday, and on Mondays I work as a volunteer librarian's assistant, and on Fridays I'm taught how to do that job. Maybe I'll update again this weekend, but I can't next weekend because of Sea Cadets. If I don't update in a while, feel free to bust me on it, but I do have a fairly full week for the next..**

**Ever?**

**Eh, Peace Off, Internets!**


	7. Chapter 7

**BROTHER FLUFF WARNING! On with the show!**

* * *

When they reached the flying fortress, Thor pulled Loki to the side, away from the others.

" Brother-"

" I am not your brother." Loki hissed, yanking his arm out of Thor's grasp. " Odin told you of my true heritage, did he not?"

" He did." Thor admitted, looking hurt. " But the only thing that changes is how many times I must tell you I'm sorry."

Loki raised one eyebrow at Thor, his lips pressed into a tight line.

" Apologize for what, Odinsson?"

" For not listening to you." Thor replied, stepping closer to Loki. " For writing you off, too many times. For teasing you because of your magic, and all the hatred I once held for the Jotuns. And-"

Loki held up one hand, turning his head away. " Stop."

" No." Thor wrapped his arms around Loki in a massive bear hug. " And for not protecting you as I should have. I am sorry, Brother."

Loki tensed at the hug, grinding his teeth. " Release me." His voice, no matter the effort, shook with emotion.

Thor reluctantly did, stepping back to give Loki breathing room.

" I am not a child, Thor, nor am I you brother."

" I've loved you my whole life as my little brother." Thor said stubbornly. " Knowing who you where truly born to changes not that feeling. You may deny it, but you are my brother. Not by blood, but by bond."

* * *

" I don't like it." Steve admitted, staring worriedly down at the screen.

" None of us do." Banner sighed, bustling past him.

" No, no, I mean-" Steve started to chew on his lip. " He has wings."

" And?" Romanoff asked pointedly, arching one eyebrow.

" And his name is Gabriel. What if-"

" They don't exist, Captain." Coulson stated, trotting up behind them. Tony Stark, out of the suit, sauntered behind him. " If they did, we would know."

" You didn't know about Asgard until a year ago." Steve insisted, crossing his arms.

" What don't exist?" Tony cut in, leaning over the screen. " Wait, you think Angel here is an actually angel?"

On the screen, pacing restlessly like a bird trapped in a cage, Gabriel circled the inside of the glass container constantly, his wings dragging carelessly behind him, like he couldn't be bothered to spend energy to fold them up. The crippled wing was wrapped in white bandages, soaked through by silver tinted blood.

" What if he is?" Steve pressed, looking thoughtful. " He could be a victim, maybe we could talk-"

" Captain of America, I would advise against it." Loki appeared in the doorway, Thor hovering over his shoulder. The two had disappeared hours ago, mostly likely to talk."It matters not that he was a friend or what his kind is thought of by your people, at the moment, he is the enemy. Though it pains me to say it."

" What's he to you, Rock of the Ages?" Tony prodded, sitting down on the round table.

" As I said, he was my friend." Loki replied without emotion. " We met in the void."

" Yeah? Well what's his play? He's not ruling an army from in there, and if he's as powerful as you claim, couldn't he break out?" Tony pulled a bag of dried blue berries from his pocket, munching thoughtfully. Banner settled down beside him.

" I believe he is striking your faith." Loki answered. Romanoff stood up suddenly, sweeping out of the room. " That is why he has not hidden his wings from sight."

" So he is an angel?" Steve asked, glancing back down at the screen.

" No." Loki paused dramatically. " He is an _Archangel_. He once served as a Messenger to the entity your people call God. I believe he came to Asgard before, to give Odin a message as well. Heimdall once told me of them."

At the name of the Gate-keeper, Thor started guiltily.

" Oh, brother-"

" I am not your brother, Thor." Loki retorted tiredly. Thor continued as if he hadn't heard him, pulling a small dark dagger from his pocket.

" Heimdall wishes for you to have this." The Thunder god said, offering it to Loki. The god of Mischief's face morphed into amused anger. " Bro- Loki? What is it?"

" Nothing." Loki lied, slipping the dagger into his jacket pocket. " You should find some clothes, Thor. You stink like a Bilgsnipe."

Everyone in the room gave the two gods blank looks.

" Uh, what's a Bilgsnipe?"

* * *

Romanoff stood alone by the glass cage, her eyes dark and angry. In his cell, Gabriel grinned at her.

" So your paying me a visit? So nice! I get lonely really easy."

" What are you." Romanoff demanded bluntly, her hands clasped behind her back.

" I'm an angel! Ain't it obvious?" Gabriel sauntered over to the glass wall, mockingly copying her position.

" Your a monster." She hissed.

" I'm not the only one. Oh, but Barton told me about you." He purred, tilting his head in a birdlike way.

" I owe him a dept."

" He seems to think it's something more."

" Where are they."

" You know, I'm not entirely sure." Gabriel resumed pacing, running one hand along the glass wall. " I sent Selvig off with the Tesseract, no clue where they got to." He paused, throwing the agent a glance over his shoulder. " Oh, but he's not the one your interested in finding, huh?"

" Rogers had a point, your not ruling an army in here, what's your play?"

" You think I wanted to come here? Please, I thought I'd be back in the void by now."

" Your hiding from someone." Romanoff guessed, stepping closer to the glass. " You're afraid they'll find you. What are you running from?"

" I am God!" Gabriel snarled, smashing his fist against the glass. It strained but didn't crack. " I fear nothing!"

" You know," Romanoff said mockingly, stepping back until her hand rested on the trigger to drop the cell. " That's the second time of heard that lie in two days."

Gabriel visible calmed down at the sight of Romanoff's hand curled around the handle.

" Good, now, what are you."

" I am Gabriel. I am a runaway angel. I am the thing that will kill you, and break your faith completely." Gabriel hissed. His blue eyes were deranged,his hair windswept. " Do you want to know why _I_ can _be_ God? Because he skipped out on my brothers and I long ago, left us in the dust to pick up the trash." A crazed giggle bubbled from his throat. " Abandoned by God, all of us. Oh, but I won't abandon you." Gabriel wasn't even looking at her anymore. " I will be here forever, if I have to. Teaching you lessons and-" His crooning stopped suddenly. His hands reached up to his face and he sat down with a thud.

When he lowered his hands, his eyes burned gold, fixed on the hidden camera that the others watched him through.

" I'm sorry, Loki." He whispered.

An explosion ripped through the base, throwing Romanoff to the floor. Alarms screamed eerily, red lights flashing as people rushed around the base madly.

She turned to demand answers from Gabriel, but he was curled up on the floor, tears streaming down his face as he laughed. His eyes were a lifeless swirling blue once more.

* * *

**Yes, Gabriel is completely mad by now. Kudos to those who noticed the difference between Hurt!Gabriel taking the Tesseract, and Crazy!Gabriel fighting Captain America. I imagine his own essence, his Grace, is fighting the power of the Mind Gem, and it's tearing his mind apart.**

**Poor Gabriel!**

**And, HA! Cliffhanger! I've never actually written a cliffhanger before, but I'm feeling pretty cruel today.**

**Yes, this one is a bit short, but the last chapter was fairly long and I just felt like writing some more. I highly doubt I do another chapter today, but It's fairly likely I'll have one out tomorrow. Until then, Peace Off, Internets!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay guys, I made a major spoiler future chapter and I want to share it with you guys! PM me and I'll sen it your way. It's only about 470 words, so it's super short. It's about Gabriel after he is chained for his crimes and faces his punishment.**

**Surprise guests by angels in it! You guys know you want to read it! It's actually given me an idea for a sequel, if I get around to it**.

* * *

The explosion rocked through the base, shattering windows and blowing up the floor under the assembled heroes and gods feet. Steve and Tony went flying out the door, smashing into the hallway wall, coughing from the impact and smoke. The floor under Banner and Coulson collapsed, sending them tumbling down into the flying ship with a mess of metal and glass and both gods were tossed out of a window, landing with a painful crunch of glass on the floor below them. Alarms and lights blared around them, painting the dark metal walls red.

The gods shared a look before jumping to their feet, Thor's hand wrapped around the hammer's handle and Loki's dagger clutched tightly in his slender fingers.

As they ran, the ship tilted to the side, sending both brothers sliding down along the floor.

" Do you feel that, brother?" Thor panted, bracing his feet against a table. Using some sort of sixth sense, both gods could feel the unnatural sharp thrum of the Mind Gem's energy corrupting a human mind.

" Yes, Thor." Loki hissed back, balanced on a chair bolted to the floor. " I believe Agent Barton is here for Gabriel."

" We can't let him escape!"

" Go find him then. I will help up here." Thor nodded, twirling his hammer in his hand. He shot off, leaving Loki alone in the room.

Loki looked down at the ground as it shook, the rumble of some large beast below him shaking the foundations of the flying fortress. One hand gripped around the dagger, Loki carefully climbed back into the room, staring down into the hole Banner and Coulson disappeared into. The roar of the beast rose from the darkness.

Loki took a deep breath, calming his nerves, and threw himself into the hole.

* * *

Thor charged recklessly down the halls, bursting in the room where Gabriel still stood caged. One pale hand was raised reverently to shoulder length, clenched into a fist. Sweat slid down his cheeks and his eyes were an eerily ghost blue, clouded over with white energy. Pinned to the wall, Natasha Romanoff opened and closed her mouth desperately, trying to warn Thor.

" Release Lady Romanoff, coward."

Gabriel's crazed grin warped into a soundless snarl. His hand tightened before dropping to his side, releasing Romanoff.

" I am no coward!" Gabriel cried angrily, snapping his fingers. The control panel for his cage sparked and blew, the door sliding back to the waiting angel.

" No!" Thor roared, throwing his hammer. Gabriel side-stepped, lip curling in mad amusement.

Arms wide, Thor charged at Gabriel with a loud war cry, sweeping low so his opponent couldn't dodge.

" Going up!" Gabriel barked out with a laugh, using Thor's face as a jump-board. He sailed over the god's head, tumbling gracefully to a stop outside. With a wave of his hand, the glass door slammed shut hard enough to strain the metal holding the cage up.

" Now what does this do..?" Gabriel hummed gleefully, reaching for the lever beside the control panel. With a yank, it slid back and the metal trap opened, sending a shudder through the glass cage.

Eyeing Gabriel wearily, Thor stepped back. His hand was white around Mjolnir's handle.

" You know, Loki told me about you." Gabriel clucked, running his slender fingers over the ruined control panel. " How you bullied him like the other worthless gods of Asgard, how you promised, you bragged, that you would kill all of the Frost Giants-"

He skipped over to the door of the glass cage, one hand raised with his fingers poised to snap.

" And worst of all, how Odin punished you for killing hundreds of Jotuns, all because of a weak insult, by putting you in time out for three days. We all know if it was Loki in your position, he would have been hurt so much worse. Lashings? Disinheritance?" Gabriel leaned over the gap between the metal platform and the glass cage. " Or just plain old banishment? I know where he's been, stupid, bull-headed brothers ruining everything others have worked so hard for, and getting off without blame, or, maybe, the little brother just gets all the punishment."

Romanoff was back on her feet, stealthily sneaking up on the ranting angel. Thor's eyes slid to her crouched form before shooting silently back to Gabriel.

" And despite everything, all the times family can betray and stab you, Loki doesn't hate you." Gabriel's voice fell into a whisper. " He still loves you, you don't even deserve him. You are everything bad in my home, reckless and ruthless and- and-"

Gabriel ground his teeth together, snapping his fingers. The metal latchings around the cage melted into silver goo, sending the glass cage screeching down the dark shoot into the open, blue sky.

" And loyal."

Romanoff lurched forwards, arms wrapped around Gabriel in a surprise tackle. A brush of wind breathed across the agent's face and open air filled a man-shaped hole in-front of her. Unable to stop, Romanoff pitched forwards off the edge of the metal platform, hands desperately clawing at empty air. Her drumming heart leapt into her throat and a cry of fear tore itself free of her lips.

Strong hands dug into the back of the tottering agent's form fitting suit. With a mighty heave, her savior yanked Romanoff back from the edge.

" You know, Agent Romanoff." Coulson's amused voice laughed from behind her. " There's easier ways to fly."

" Thank y-" Romanoff was cut off, thrown on top of Coulson by another sudden lurch in the ship.

" Barton's on the ship, I repeat, Clint Barton is on the ship. Does anyone read me?!" The Director's angry shouts rang out of Romanoff's communication device.

" I-I read." Romanoff hesitated slightly. " Agents Romanoff and Coulson read, Director Fury. Where is Barton?"

* * *

**(Somewhat back in time, before Coulson saved Romanoff) **

" Doctor Banner?" Coulson groaned, gritting his teeth, a massive metal pipe crushing his leg. " Doctor, can you here me?"

Banner was curled up on the ground several feet away. One hand was braced against the floor, the fingers crooked and swelling from breaks.

" Doctor- Bruce, calm down, you're in no danger-"

" No danger?" The doctor's voice came out in a raspy growl. "Can yo-you say the s-" The last word was a garbled yelp. His skin was tinted with green, and the seams of his clothes strained and split. Twisting desperately, he slid off the little platform they had fallen on and plopped ungracefully to the metal floor below them.

With a painful yank, Coulson freed his leg and started to crawl along the pipe bordered hall-way. The thunderous crunch of metal breaking under heavy footfall was punctured by a massive roar.

Coulson pushed himself to his feet, limping hurriedly down the hall. Behind him, the Hulk smashed through solid walls and metal piping. With one mammoth hand, he clipped Coulson's injured leg, sending the hurt man spinning into the wall as Hulk careened past.

Darkness was nipping at the edge of his vision when Loki found him.

" Up, Son of Coul." The god hissed, encasing one of the agent's limp hands in his pale one. He pulled Coulson to his feet, healing the wounded leg with a flourish.

" Th-thought you couldn't use magic yet." He ground out, steadying himself against the wall.

" It is no great trail to heal a single wound, Son of Coul. Now, go, my brother needs your aid." Loki's voice shook slightly on brother, but if the agent noticed, he said nothing about it. " Gabriel will try to escape, stop him. I will stop your green beast."

" Don't hurt him." Coulson called over his shoulder, rushing back down the hall. " Doctor Banner is in there somewhere!" He vanished behind a corner, his foot-steps fading in the distance.

Loki turned to the trail of bent and shattered metal, back straight and shoulders set.

Somewhere ahead of him, an enraged roar shook the floating fortress.

* * *

**SORRY! This is late, _reeaaallly _late. No real excuse, I mean, I'm tired, school's started up, Cadets sucks the color out of my life, but other then that?**

**Nope, no excuses here. **

**Oh, and sorry if Gabriel sounds too OC. He is absolutely insane, and will stay that way until near the end. I had a bit of difficulty switching around roles for the scenes, since Loki is there in all. I'm kinda just assuming everyone has watched the movie since I'm cutting out some pretty important and arguably long and dragging discussions and all, but meh. I'm too lazy to try and fit _all_ of the talks in.**

**Well, thanks for reading Internets, tell me what you think, and as always, Peace Off!**


	9. So Sorry!

**I'm sorry for the long hiatus, everyone, and even more sorry to say that it'll be even longer.**

**It's not that I've lost my passion, or run into a writer's block, but I am depressed.**

**Every day life is driving me mad (well, on the plus side, always wondered what a insane asylum looks like on the inside) and problems are just piling up.**

**Everyone has problems, so I guess I'm just preaching to the choir, but it's nice to admit it, even if I don't know any of you, and will never meet you guys either.**

**Sorry, again. Hope the new season of Supernatural keeps you guys entertained though. **

**Ahem, as always, Peace Off Internets!**

**:3**


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